2025 turned me into a skirt convert. Before, dresses and jeans were my tribe, and skirts just seemed either stiff and formal or short and impractical. But this year marked a noticeable shift—one that made skirts feel less like a styling challenge and more like the most interesting option in my wardrobe. What changed? Variety. 2025 saw the emergence of a far more dynamic range of skirt styles, from playful bubble hems to polished, preppy pleats.
As we look ahead to 2026, that variety only grows. The category is expanding in all directions, with designers giving a new lease of life with print and texture to lengths, silhouettes and styles that had previously been forgotten. And while I'm not fully packing my jeans or trousers away just yet, I am certainly thinking about how I can incorporate skirts into my New Year wardrobe more.
So if you're already thinking about your 2026 wardrobe, consider this your cheat sheet full of the skirt trends the fashion set are embracing now and wearing on repeat next year.
5 2026 Skirt Trends to Take Note of:
1. Knee-Length Skirts
Style Notes: The knee-length skirt is here to solve our collective midi-skirt stress. After seasons dominated by the midi - a length notoriously difficult to style - fashion designers like Gucci and Toga and fashion insiders are embracing a hemline that removes the guesswork. With a knee-length skirt, you know exactly where it's supposed to sit, and you can choose between just below the knee, or just above, depending on what works for you. Proportions are cleaner and silhouettes more intentional. They look great with a wide range of footwear, but preppy and pointed work best as a rule. If opting for a boot, stick to knee-highs and ensure the hem overlaps to keep your outfit streamlined.
Shop the Trend:
Perfect for the office.
For some added texture.
A preppy take.
One for the print lovers.
A classic with a twist.
2. Kilts
Style Notes: Kilts have been huge this season, mainly thanks to Claudia Winkleman and her incredible Traitors wardrobe. They may be synonymous with winter dressing due to their length and use of thick fabrics, but for 2026 tartan was a huge print on the runways, so we expect to see our love for the kilt continue well into next year, as well as lighter, brighter options for the warmer months.
Shop the Trend:
100% wool.
Just add knee-high boots.
Look to drop-waists for sleek silhouette.
I mean, if I could have any kilt...
The perfect addition to your capsule wardrobe.
3. Leather Skirts
Style Notes: The leather skirt secured its place in our capsule wardrobes this season, and we don't see any sign of that changing as we enter 2026. As new-in collections drop across both high-street and luxury, brands are clearly playing to our growing love for the leather skirt, introducing fresh, fashion-forward iterations designed to carry us into next year. From drop-waist silhouettes to styles detailed with intricate pleating, alongside new colours and tactile textures, the category feels richer and more exciting than ever. Our appetite for leather skirts has grown, and so too have the options on offer, and the ways we're styling them.
Shop the Trend:
Can be dressed up or down.
COS always nails the brief.
Designer look, high-street price.
The ultimate luxury.
A brighter kind of neutral that looks striking with cream.
4. Skirt Suits
Style Notes: Skirt suits have left behind their 1980s 'power-dressing' associations and have become a true fashion staple in recent years. For 2026, we expect love for this co-ord to grow, with the likes of Bella Hadid and Kendal Jenner both wearing skirt suits with vintage details such as peplums and knee-length skirts. There are now so many iterations of the trend that you can find the perfect style for you, but for a timeless skirt suit that will look good year after year, opt for heritage checks and modern takes on classic cuts and tailoring.
Shop the Trend:
An elevated basic.
Tailoring at its finest.
So incredibly chic!
Love the stitiching detail!
Overzized and longline for a designer-inspired fit.
5. Sheer Skirts
Style Notes: Sheer skirts were all over the SS26 runways, with Acne Studios offering sheer, slip-style skirts in neutral tones, while Alberta Ferreti brought sleek and sheer butter yellow maxi skirts to our attention, and Blumarine added embroidery to barely-there tulle. It's a slight left turn from the slip-skirt trend we've seen this year - more delicate and romantic, and a silhouette that's fluid and relaxed. Sheer can be easily worked into evening wardrobes, but can be made appropriate for daywear too with clever layering and a mixture of textures. Look to the 90s and wear with jeans for a vintage take, or combine with oversized silhouettes that will add modesty as well as structure.
Shop the Trend:
Wear over jeans for a nod to the '90s.
Can work for daytime too, just add an oversized t-shirt.
Add to a oversized thin knit for a soft but sexy look.
Super elegant.
Muted shades make a more timeless alternative to pastels.